Air Force

Air Force News – February 15, 2013

AF leaders: Sequestration, more budget cuts will be devastating

Sequestration would leave the Air Force with untrained people, a lack of equipment and be “devastating” to the service, officials said Feb. 7.

The warning echoes what Defense Department officials have stated for months about across-the-board defense cuts, in addition to an ongoing continuing resolution.

“Now that we’re staring at that possibility in less than a month, I can tell you, they were right,” said Gen. Larry Spencer, vice chief of staff of the Air Force, during a media roundtable at the Pentagon.

The meeting was aimed at discussing the toll that ongoing fiscal insecurity and looming sequestration are taking on the force.

“We understand the national imperative of economic strength and getting the fiscal house in order,” said Dr. Jamie Morin, acting under secretary of the Air Force. “And we recognize that the Air Force is not going to be exempt from the sort of budgetary austerity that is a part of a balanced approach to getting the national fiscal house in order.”

Although Air Force leaders have already taken steps to meet budgetary reductions, the impacts that will occur from sequestration put the service at risk.

“Those cuts from sequestration, as has been said over and over again, are going to be devastating; they’re going to be dangerous,” Morin said.

Texas

The first female Dominican Republic combat pilot student is currently attending the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. She will be graduating Dec. 12 with 278 fellow IAAFA students.

Italy

Fallen pilot Maj. Lucas Gruenther, 31st Fighter Wing, who went missing Jan. 28 during a nighttime training mission over the Adriatic Sea, was honored during a memorial service Feb. 6 at Aviano Air Base.

Afghanistan

Airmen from the 777th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force Squadron and the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, and local Afghani leaders joined forces to repair local wells in villages near Bagram Airfield Feb. 11.

Israel

The 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Contingency Response Group conducted a flying training deployment Jan. 27 to Feb. 8 with the Israeli air force’s 103rd Squadron at Nevatim Air Force Base.

Local Military Discounts

Pentagon Channel

Total body conditioning class A new total body conditioning class is 6:30 and 9 a.m. Monday and Wednesday. The 6:30 a.m. class is broken into two half hour segments to accommodate squadron or individual physical training. The 9 a.m. class is one hour. The class consists of body weight movements and the use of equipment...

Courtesy photo Second Lt. Shaun Chaplain, 56th Comptroller Squadron flight commander, surveys his surroundings at an unnamed deployed location when he was still an enlisted member. From a technical sergeant in cyber operations,...

California The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force is in the process of testing the F-35A Lightning II’s newest munitions asset, a four-barrel Gatling gun that fires 25 mm rounds known as the GAU-22/A. Unlike the Marine Corps and Navy variants, the GAU-22/A is integrated internally to the F-35A. Bulgaria More than 100...

SecAF addresses priorities at Aspen Security Forum Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James discussed her top national and homeland security issues, as well as current personnel challenges, during a Q-and-A session with Fox News at the sixth annual, three-day Aspen Security Forum in Colorado July 24. Regarding her perspective of the current top U.S....

Loans can be very useful in life. From paying off bills to moving expenses, loans can help Airmen out when they need it. Sometimes Airmen are attracted to a less than ideal option of obtaining cash other than getting a traditional loan. What they may not realize is that going to a place that offers...

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